Pictures of Albus
by TealBird21
Summary: There was a Code at Hogwarts that was not to be messed with, but Valentina Wright is ready to throw all caution to the wind if it means giving her the chance to take the photo that will reveal who the real Albus Potter is. It won't be easy though with a reluctant best friend and an unwilling muse, but Val is willing to do anything to get that photo, including breaking the Code.
1. The Code

**This first chapter doesn't have a point of view, but later chapters will. Chapter Dedicated to the songs Kickstarts (Bar 9 Remix) by Example and Hook Me Up by the Veronicas.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

There was a simple code if you wanted to get through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The code didn't involve avoiding the Forbidden Forest or getting detentions or really anything you would expect, but there was a code all the same. Every first year with an older sibling was warned about the code and those who didn't were told by their friends. From then on the code was silent and unspoken, but very much intact. Fair game. Here was the code:

**Rule #3.** You didn't play Quidditch unless you had the "Weasley Blessing."

**Rule #2.** Weasley women were not to be flirting or courted unless you have been Blessed.

and then there was Rule #1 the most important rule of the Code.

**Rule #1.** Do not fight the Potters.

The Code sounded simple at first glance. Don't play Quidditch unless the Weasley's allowed you to, don't flirt with the Weasley women unless approached first, and don't fight the Potters. Straight forward. Easy to follow, right? Wrong.

Here is why:

-There is at least one Weasley on every Quidditch house team at Hogwarts.

Let's start here. This begins with the Slytherin Quidditch team. Molly Weasley II is the Slytherin Quidditch team Captain. She controls who gets onto the team indefinitely. If she likes you, you now possess the "Weasley Blessing." Once you have been Blessed all Weasley's like you and now you can play Quidditch or attempt to date any Weasley you want. Any Weasley can Bless you at anytime, but any Weasley can also take away the Blessing. So here is the break down: if one Weasley likes you they all like you, if one dislikes you they all dislike you. So it is important once you've been Blessed that you stay that way.

Next is the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Lucy Weasley is not the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, however it is important she gets along with you still. Despite only being a fifth year, she has many relatives who can come after you at anytime if she feels threatened in any way, shape, or form. Before Lucy, Victorie Weasley used to rule the Ravenclaws. Once Victorie graduated Lucy became the heir. This does not mean that Lucy was not in charge though. This is key. If you are a Weasley you are still in charge, but older Weasleys are more dangerous than the younger ones. So, like previously stated, it is _key _to get along with all Weasleys.

Now we move on to the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Louis Weasley is only a fourth year, but still, he possesses the Weasley name and so he possesses the same Weasley powers as the others. This is where another key point comes in, however. That key point is Weasley family friends, such as Alice Longbottom and her Gryffindor brother Frank or the Scamander twins, Lorcan and Lysander. They have grown up with the Weasleys and so their blessing can not be taken away by just one member of the "Weasley Clan" disliking them. They possess it as indefinitely as being a Weasley themselves. They can also give Blessings and take them away, which is known as being "Disgraced." Therefor family friends also known as the "Honored" can live without worrying about any part of the Code.

Finally there is the Gryffindor Quidditch team. As of now, there is no one on the Quidditch team who is not a Wealsey. The exception to this is the Potters. Potters are still considered Weasleys despite having a different last name because their mother is a Weasley and still technically have the blood. This brings us to the conclusion that Potters are to treated with all the same caution as the Weasleys. With this all being said we can move on to the next point.

-Weasley women are all very attractive.

Lets repeat this: Weasley women are all _very _attractive! Victorie Weasley has already graduated, so she has become a moot point, but while she had been at Hogwarts all the same rules had applied. So here is a list of girls to avoid unless you have been blessed: Dominique Weasley, Molly Weasley, Lucy Weasley, Roxanne Weasley, Rose Weasley, and Lily Potter. It would also do you well to avoid Alice Longbottom and Dara Wood, because they are Honored. This rule, luckily, is the easiest to follow though because you can date any girl but them. Now if you _did _want to date them you absolutely _must _be Blessed. If you are not you will have protective brothers after your Hogwarts life. So try to get Blessed if you want to get the girl. Now we can move on the second most important rule.

-Potters are dangerous.

Before we get into this, let us take a moment to remember what we have learned. Just a quick summary. Get Blessed. If you do not get Blessed, you can not play Quidditch as freely as you would like and you could not date a Weasley women or an Honored. Remember? Good. Now we can move on to why Potters are dangerous.

There are three Potters currently attending Hogwarts. The first is James Potter, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, seventh year, and one of the most sought after guy within the school. Before we get into this, something must be explained. The male Weasleys control being Blessed and all of the previously explained gifts you can receive from being friends with a Weasley, however, there is a reason why the second rule says "Weasley women" instead of just "Weasleys". Weasley men are fair game to anyone at Hogwarts, however, the first rule still applies; if one Weasley doesn't like you, they all dislike you. Now back to the Potters.

Now, the first Potter is James. The second Potter at Hogwarts is Albus Potter, he plays Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, is a sixth year, and is also very much sought after. The last Potter is Lily Potter, a fourth year Chaser, and another attractive female to avoid. These three Potters can be very nice and great friends, however, they are all prone to getting into fights. None of them have anything against dueling or getting into fist fights and have quick tempers to act on. Not only this, but they are good at what they do. Rule #1: **Do not fight the Potters**. It is imperative to avoid doing anything to piss them off too intently. Fortunately, this is very easy to avoid. Only the crazy idiots (most Slytherins) even attempt to bait the Potters. So the only way you could possibly end up in a fight with them is if you are in the cross fires.

Those are the rules. Don't get the Weasley Blessing, don't play Quidditch or date the Weasley girls, and don't fight with the Potters. Oh, but there _is _one more rule in the Code. It is also the most important of them all. Even more important than not fighting the Potters.

**Rule #0. **Do not tell any Weasley, Potter, or Honored about the Code.

That's right. There are three important rules in the Code and they are all unspoken, so unspoken in fact even those with the power don't realize it. That being said, it made the Code all the more...confusing. How could someone be so unaware of the power they hold? Simple: they didn't see it as a Code. The second rule they saw as protecting their family, which was understandable. The third law they saw as people being afraid of them, and while this was true, they were unsure of the reason why. The first part, however, they didn't see at all. It made since seeing as they were always baited and had a quick temper, but they were unaware that people actually _tried _to avoid fighting with them.

You can imagine the disorder, however, it would cause if the Code was exposed. At that point, not only would they hold the power, but they would also be aware of the power they hold and _that _was dangerous business. So the Code remained silent and unspoken. Until one, Valentina Wright screwed it up, that is.


	2. The Mystery of Albus Potter

**This song of this Chapter are "Rat A Tat" by Fall Out Boy. Also, pronunciation: "Wri" is pronounced "Ruh-eye."  
**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, I do not.**

***Valentina Wright***

I was walking through the hall carrying several thick books in my arms muttering profanities about my broken book bag when it happened. One moment the hall was deserted and silent and the next everyone was rushing through. One even pushing me to the wall causing me to drop my books to the floor. I glared into the crowd unsure of the culprit. What if they had hurt my camera?

"Alright there Wri?" my best friend Lexy asked seeming to appear out of thin air. She was like that, Lexy. No where in sight one moment and then right in your ear the next. Alexis helped me back to me feet, grabbing my books in her other arm as she went.

"Yeah I'm fine. Which Potters fighting this time?" I questioned as I took my books from her and checked my camera. Still in perfect condition. I looked around the hall and recognized the symptoms, as I called them. Empty hallway at one second then a crowed one then an empty one again. Everyone was rushing to see the fight.

"Lily Potter. Angel Coote, that Ravenclaw Chaser, called her mother a gold digger. " Lexy told me and I nodded in understanding.

"That makes since. If I was in Lily's position I was have punched Angel too. Family is a low blow." I said thoughtfully before continuing, "S'pect Angel will be off the team now though. Or at least hit with every bludger next Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game for breaking the code."

Lexy nodded, but didn't reply. Afraid, I suspected. Lexy, like everyone else, took the code very seriously and that meant refusing to talk about it. I wasn't like that. So far I have been able to stay under the radar despite documenting Albus Potter's every waking moment in my presence, but I didn't question it. I was only grateful for it. I didn't play Quidditch and I was a girl so I didn't have to worry about the first two rules and I avoided the other two Potters at all costs so I didn't have much to worry about. Sure this had some down sides such as having to admire and photograph Albus Potter from a far, but I never broke the Code, my Hogwarts life was safe. Unless you counted being called a stalker by your best friend. Which I wasn't for the record. Albus just fascinated me.

Lexy used to be like this too until last year when she decided to finally make a move on her crush, Freddie Weasley. She had been doing well too, like not just letting him know she existed, but also becoming friends with him. I was sure it was going to work out until a Potion's class last year when Lexy's potion exploded and hit Roxanne Weasley's hair leaving her near bald. Lexy had tried to apologize and explain, but Roxanne had been too busy freaking out, as any girl would, to hear any of it. After that, the next time Lexy tried talking to Fred his eyes just slid right by her without even settling on her, like she wasn't even there. Lexy cried in the shower for several hours before I managed to coax her out.

Roxanne, who was another dorm mate of ours, had later approached Lexy to let her know that she understood it wasn't Lexy's fault, but my best friend never attempted anything as risky as approaching Fred again. It honestly made me furious at them all. It was there fault the code was in place anyway. Why should we let them walk around the school all high and mighty? Some one needed to knock them all of their high horses. Getting into Albus' good graces be damned! Loyalty to the majority!

"Don't even think about it Valentina." Lexy said looking at my hard facial expression.

"What?" I asked innocently, but it didn't work. My face is notorious for being easy to read.

"Don't you go breaking the code! You know what they can be like! Not everyone is as forgiving as Roxanne! Imagine if you had Dominique Weasley after you or worse Lily Potter! Lily could kill you if you piss her off enough, you know! And Dominique could crush you socially to the point of hiding in the dorm! That's not even adding in what James Potter and Freddie could do to you with their pranks! They're vicious when it comes to protecting the family! Don't do it Wri!" I stared at Lexy in amazement at the passion she was able to put into that speech, but it honestly only made me more frustrated with the lot of them. People were _scared _of them for Merlin's sake!

"Don't worry, I won't." I lied and turned away before she could read my face. Cheering could now be heard and I knew we were beginning to come upon the fight everyone had rushed forward to see. I made eye contact with Lexy and we both nodded before pushing our way through the crowd so that we could see the fight for our selves.

Angel Coote wasn't faring well at all. One of her eyes was swollen shut and her nose looked like it had been broken and then put back correctly and then broken again. I winced just looking at her. Angel was really quite pretty most of the time, but she wasn't looking nearly as attractive now. Even so, she was still trying to fight, holding onto Lily's long red hair. My hand automatically went to my own red locks and I flinched, but looking at Lily she didn't even seem to feel a thing. She just had a grip on Angel's wrist, trying to twist it into breaking the hold while her other hand, or fist really, punched Angel in the stomach.

I looked away from the fight, wincing at the blood that flew out of Angel's bleeding mouth- a tooth seemed to be missing. It was there that I noticed the people directly across from Alexis and I. My stomach did a funny jolt as I spotted Albus and his brother James both watching the fight with different facial expressions. James' mouth was in a straight, angry line and nodded every time Lily landed a punch, but Albus' face was expressionless. No disapproval or vicious enjoyment, but he didn't seem bored or disinterested either. His face was just blank. I took a step back from the crowd and pulled out my chunky, old fashioned, muggle camera. I looked at the image in front of me again before putting the camera to my eye and snapping a couple photos.

My dad had given me the camera on my eleventh birthday. It was my favorite present and that was competing against an acceptance letter from Hogwarts as well. The camera won by a mile. Maybe it was because my mother had been a photographer, but I had always been in love with pictures and cameras. Black and white photos and old cameras especially. There was just something special about being able to capture a moment so flawlessly and to be able to do it without color as well. Maybe that was why I was so against moving pictures. It took away the magnificence, the _art _of being able to freeze time. That was why when Professor Smith has come to explain things about magic, I had asked her about my camera. I remember that day so perfectly, how she had explained that most muggle objects didn't work around magic, and how upset I had gotten, but then she had just smiled so lightly before tapping her wand to my camera and telling me it would work from then on. She also explained that I could process the pictures in a special potion that could make them move, but I have yet to do it. I liked my still, black and white photos.

Slowly, I lowered my camera back down, and waited patiently for my pictures to come out of the little slot. Once they did, I waved them around in the air before I put them away in my pocket to look at later, as my bag was broken. I hated looking at my pictures in the same time I took them, it made me take more, always trying to get the perfect photo. I took one last look at the fight before nudging Lexy and leaving for our dormitory. Sooner or later a teacher was bound to appear as if out of thin air and with our luck it would be Headmistress McGonagall who would take house points from anyone who was there and also give out detentions like an Opera show. "And you get a detention! And you get a detention! And guess what! You get a detention too!" No, I would like to be in my bed with the currents closed looking over my new pictures before that happened.

"Lily Potter was really giving it her all wasn't she?" Lexy commented drily as we headed towards Gryffindor tower and I nodded thinking about Angel's swollen eye, broken nose, and missing tooth. I did _not _want to be in that position. Not that I was a bad fighter, I would definitely fare better than Angel was, but the Potters were brutal in their fights. Unforgiving and relentless.

"Kind of deserved to be punched after calling her mum a gold digger though, didn't she? That's enough to make anyone lose their shit. Especially given the circumstances that Mrs. Potter fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. Total lack of respect." I don't know why I was arguing on Lily's side, especially after going off on the lot of them mentally a little while ago, but I was huge on respect.

"I agree, but really Lily shouldn't have punched her. Angel made her self look like an idiot just by throwing that insult out. Everyone knows that Lily's mom used to play for the Hollyhead Harpies, she doesn't need any bloke's money. Besides, Mr. and Mrs. Potter were Hogwarts Sweethearts. Angel's just a stupid slag." Lexy agreed and we both smirked slightly. Lexy and I were obsessed with the past war. It was fascinating to learn about and I took History of Magic again just so I could hear more about it. That was how we were able to spit out random facts like this. It was also why we took Angel's insult to Mrs. Potter as a personal offense.

By the time Lexy and I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady the sound of pounding footsteps could be heard as the group around the fight attempted to scatter. It never worked, but it was entertaining to imagine their panic. The Potters, I knew, would stay to get in trouble, they never beat around the bush with those things. Not when it was so painfully obvious they were involved. Lexy told the Fat Lady the password and I didn't bat an eyelash at the sight of an empty common room. It was normal during a Potter fight. We both moved up the stairs and into the sixth year dormitory where I was finally able to collapse onto my bed and pull the curtains shut.

I sighed with contentment at how comfortable my bed was before rolling over and tying my auburn hair up into a ponytail to get my hair out of my face. Only then did I allow myself to take out my photos of the day and place each of them beside each other in chronological order. The first was of Lexy brushing her teeth and flipping me off in the mirror for taking a photo, the second was of my glass if pumpkin juice, my third was of the chalkboard in DADA, and then finally my photos of the Potters.

I took three pictures of them because of how fast moving the fight was. It was difficult to get a good picture when someone was moving, especially with an old camera. The first photo showed Lily being held by the hair, a fierce look of anger, her arm slightly blurred as she tried to take another punch at Angel. In the background were her brothers, James with his lips shut tight and Albus with his blank facial expression. The next photo was similar to the first, but with less of a blur and Lily's arm sunken deep within Angel's gut. Once again James was tight lipped, but this time Albus wasn't looking at the fight, he was looking at the camera with a look of curiosity. His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion and his head titled just slightly. My heart skipped at having him notice me taking a picture of him and my face heated up. Hopefully he wouldn't tell anyone. I moved to the last photo and I was surprised to see that Albus was still looking at the camera, only this time the corner of his lip was tilted slightly in a crooked smile. He looked both amused and fascinated. My heart beat faster and I tried to stop my lips from curling up to smile.

I took the last photo away from the rest and pulled out my scrapbook labeled A.S.P and placed it within one of the folds. The binder held multiple pictures of Albus and only Lexy and myself knew about it. Hence why she calmed me a stalker and really, when I thought about it long enough, I could see why, but that really wasn't what it was supposed to be. I had a slight...curiosity, when it came to Albus Potter. He was different from both his brother and his sister or any of his cousins and I wanted to know why. He was my secret obsession. With every photo I took of him I tried to see who he really was, but there were very few photos that gave even the slightest of a peak.

There was only one photo that I had ever taken that showed who I thought he really was. I had taken the photo originally because of the big fat crush I had on him in first year, but when I had looked at it later, what I saw blew my mind. Thinking about this, I flipped to the front of my scrapbook and stared at the first photo. It's black and white like the rest and I appreciated the depth it gave. It was taken from the wall of a crowded corridor and Albus was on a skateboard in the middle of the hall wearing a black beanie to cover up his messy hair and he was looking ahead of everyone. His eyes were unfocused though as he stared ahead at something no one could see. His face so clear of emotion, not blank like it was today, but innocent and _real_. It was the photo that started my obsession.

I smoothed my hand over the plastic of the scrapbook before closing it and placing it back into an old shoebox under my bed. I took the hair tie out of my hair and shook my hands threw my auburn locks before laying down on my back and staring upwards, still thinking about that photo and Albus and his skateboard. It started my obsession alright, but if I was being honest, I would say that taking that photo was what made me fall in love with Albus S. Potter.


	3. Choking Over the Obsession

**Songs dedicated to this Chapter is "Meet Me Halfway" by the Black Eyed Peas and "Coming Home" by City and Colour .**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

***Valentina Wright***

I was absolutely dreading going to breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning after realizing Albus had seen me taking a photo of him. Originally I had been delighted and even a little excited that he had noticed me, but then the whole issue of him seeing me take a _photo _of him set in. He was going to think I was a stalker. It was this thought that made me actually get ready for the day. Usually I didn't bother with make up or doing my hair, especially not on Sundays, but I figured if Albus thought I was a stalker, which okay I _kinda _was, I might as well look cute and hope he's flattered rather than disgusted.

That was why I found myself in the dormitory bathroom with the rest of the girls on this Sunday morning. The "girls" consisted of myself, Roxanne Weasley, Rose Weasley, and Lexy. Roxanne and Rose barely ever spent too much time in here, but I knew that both currently had boyfriends and I figured they wanted to look good for them. I didn't understand it really, both were already unfairly pretty, but I never questioned them. Mostly because of the Code. Actually, no, _definitely _because of the Code. Lexy gets along with both fine though, despite that potion's fiasco, but Lexy never dared try anything close to friendship with them. This didn't bother me mostly because it meant I had a friend still.

I brushed out my auburn hair and took a moment to be amused, not for the first time, by the fact that Lexy was the only one who didn't have red hair opting for her natural blonde hair instead. Roxanne's hair was mostly brown, but you could still see the natural red high lights in her hair, and she claimed to be a red hair, so obviously she was. Sort of. I didn't think about it too much.

I threw my hair up in a sock bun- one of my specialties- and then moved onto my face. I was fortunate enough to have skipped the acne part of being a teenager so my skin was pale and flawless. I didn't need blush, I just pinched and patted my cheeks a bit. After that I just curled my eyelashes and cleaned my eyebrows up a bit before going to get dressed. It was Sunday, so no robes, I just put on my black tights and a loose fitting pink shirt with my black pair of flats. I was really a fairly simple dresser. It actually took me ten minutes to put this outfit together which has to be my longest time in a while.

Lexy took a little longer to get ready and so I had to wait, sitting on my bed, for her to come out of the bathroom. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Lexy was ready, her blonde hair falling to her waist in small waves and black eyeliner framing her blue eyes in a cat-eye. She looked pretty of course, but it almost looked too simple for the time it took her to get ready. Though I figured if I tried to do eyeliner like that I'd take forever too.

Walking down to breakfast was dreadful. Lexy walked beside me jabbering my ear off about something that I should probably be listening to, but my stomach was full of nerves. I really don't know what I was expecting to happen. Dragons falling into the Great Hall? The rebirth of Voldemort? I wasn't sure, but I was so nervous that when we walked into the Great Hall I was surprised that absolutely nothing happened. Even a little peeved, actually. Here I was, dying inside, and there everyone else was acting like nothing was wrong! Unbelievable.

"Are you having an internal meltdown again, Wri?" Lexy asked, not bothering to keep her voice down. I blushed and smacked her in the stomach as a few Slytherins turned to look at me.

"No, of course not. What do you take me for? Crazy?" I laughed nervously and I had to admit, it didn't back me up very well.

"Yes." Lexy replied easily, grinning at me as she looped her arm in mine and steered me towards the Gryffindor table. It gave me a large sense of forbidding and I didn't want to sit down.

"But Lexy," I whined, "what if the bench tried to _eat _me." I stared at her with big eyes, but she just threw her head back and laughed before slamming me down onto the bench. This caused many of the Gryffindors to turn and look at us as I shot vicious glares at my best friend.

"Eat up." Lexy said, all smiles and I stared at her incredulously. I told her what happened, didn't I? How could she be this calm?

"I hate you, Alexis Claire Finnigan." I grumbled loudly and Lexy blushed at the mention of her full and scowled at me while I grinned in triumph.

"Good, Valentina Alyssa Wright!" Lexy replied and I made a face, but didn't comment. I didn't exactly _hate _my name, it was pretty, but I felt there was too much irony in Valentina. It reminded people of Valentine's day which brought you to the color red, which happens to be my hair color. Add in the fact that I actually _was _born on Valentine's day, well, walking irony.

Lexy and I didn't speak after that. Breakfast was fantastic as always and I finished eating quickly before picking up my camera and looking around the room for something to photograph. At this point in my Hogwarts career I had already documented every inch of the Great Hall so that meant I would have to focus on the people. Almost automatically my head turned to where the Potters sat and I lifted my camera up before lowering my hands again. It was one thing to be caught taking a picture of someone once, but twice? No, that would _really_ make me look bad. It was a shame though. The three Potters were all laughing and James was shoving food into Lily's face while Albus dumped pumpkin juice over James' hair. It was messy, but they were acting like the family I never got and I felt a pang of loss looking at them.

My mom had passed away when I was five and the only memory I have of her is with a camera up at her eye. She loved taking photos and would do anything to get the perfect scene. My dad told me stories of my mother bungee jumping just to get a good image of looking up at the Golden Gate bridge. My mom had traveled every where taking photos. She was the one that helped me notice that little things, the things that everyone else dismissed. I had been very close to her and that is why it was so devastating when she died in a car crash. My mom was Wonder women, so how could something so mundane kill her? It still haunted me, but I had my dad and he was doing great for someone who had to deal with his daughter not only being a witch, but also taking the same risks as her mother. My dad was amazing, honestly.

"Hello? Earth to Wri?" I broke away from my thoughts and turned to look at Lexy to see her smirking in a way too big to be safe manner.

"What?" I asked, dreading the question. I was doing a lot of dreading today. Dreading going to breakfast, dreading entering the Great Hall, dreading sitting at the Gryffindor table and now this. I took a sip of juice to try and calm my nerves.

"Albus Potter is coming over here to see why you were staring." Lexy said and I automatically regretted taking a drink. I hated spitting things out so I instinctively swallowed. This was not a good thing as it went down the wrong way and I state choking almost immediately causing Lexy to go wide eyed.

"I'm dying!" I gasped out before I started choking again. My hands flew to my pants only to remember I didn't have any pockets. My panic rose and I reached across the table and grabbed Lexy by shirt with one hand while making random gestures with my other trying to get her to give me her wand. Tears were streaming down my eyes as I continued to gasp for air.

"_Anapneo._" a voice finally said and I gasped in air before letting Lexy go and laying my head on the table. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing instead of the silence around the Gryffindor table. I didn't really care about the attention I had caused, I was too busy being relieved.

"Oh sweet air, shall I never take you for granted again!" I spoke hoarsely without opening my eyes and Lexy patted my head lightly as she giggled.

"I'll take as a thank you." the same voice that saved me spoke again and I opened my eyes wide as I looked up into the face of my obsession. Albus was sitting right next to me and I jumped away as much as I could in the crowded space. My face heated up and I turned away and looked at Lexy who looked like she was resisting the urge to laugh. It didn't matter, I would kill her via suffocation later.

"Er-right, thank you." I said after a beat and stared down at the table.

"You're welcome. Now, my brother wanted me to come see why you were staring at us." Albus spoke lightly with curiosity in his tone. I almost wished he would be more harsh. At least then my Gryffindor defiance would awaken, but I didn't know how to react to kindness!

"She was looking for a photo. Wri is a photographer." Lexy answered for me and I felt a second wave of relief course through me. Albus raised an eyebrow and made eye contact with me. As soon as he did I could only think one thing: _Green eyes! Green eyes! My pictures don't capture that. _I couldn't figure out anything to say so I just held up the camera around my neck to answer.

"Wri..Is that your name?" Albus prompted and I nodded before shaking my head.

"Sort of." I said.

"Sort of." he repeated and I looked at Lexy, my eyes growing wide again and Lexy intervened quickly.

"Her name is Valentina. I call her Wri because of her last name Wright. Wri hates her first name." Lexy explained swiftly and I nodded while my cheeks turned red. Dear Merlin, I might as well have needed an interpreter!

"Valentina." the name rolled of his tongue and my cheeks burned more as I flushed with pleasure. Maybe I should have let the pumpkin juice kill me...

"Alright, well since you don't like Valentina, what should I call you?" Albus wondered, his head turning to the side just like in the photo. I don't know why this gave me courage, but it did.

"You can call me anything but Wri and Wally. My dad calls me Wally." I told him sternly and Albus' lip turned up in a half grin.

"Right. I'll have to think of something." Albus said before standing up and I looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing that I'm just now learning your name despite you being in all of my classes since first year. So I'm going to make an effort to remember now. Anyway, I have to go tell my siblings about your photography. Lily is an artist so she should understand and James is so big headed I'm sure he'll just tack this on to things to widen his ego. See ya, Valentina. Lexy." With a wink Albus was back with the Potter siblings and I was left with my jaw on the ground beside Lexy's. I turned back to my best friend to see her grinning at me.

"What?" I repeated and Lexy just smirked at me.

"I think he likes you." I splashed what was left of my juice in her face.


End file.
